A Not Busy Zizzi (Zizzi ( Triangle, Manchester ))

Member Name: zoe_page_1

Product:	Zizzi ( Triangle, Manchester )
Date:	18/08/09 (157 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Yummy food, excellent service

Disadvantages: Vegetarian options unmarked on the menu

While I was abroad, not one but two Zizzis popped up in Manchester. Now I was away for a year and a bit, so it's not like fairies delivered them in the middle of a long weekend away, but still. We went to the branch at the Triangle on Sunday for an early birthday tea, and it was a lovely experience.

The Triangle branch is in the Triangle shopping centre, behind the big wheel and near the Printworks. It has two entrances, but the street one looked a bit deserted (to the extent we thought the place was shut) so we entered through the shopping centre as it was just approaching 5pm on a Sunday so was still open, just about. I am always in two minds about restaurants in malls, but this one doesn't have that sort of feel to it, perhaps because it's surrounded by fairly upmarket shops and eateries, and because it does have that street entrance too.

This restaurant is deceptively big, and was fairly empty because we were early. A few tables were occupied but we were placed well away from any of these (which were spread out from each other as well). There seemed to be an awful lot of tables so despite the space, I got the feeling it might get difficult when they were fully booked with people bumping chairs or tripping over shopping bags. The place was spotlessly clean, and the whole decor of dark wood was refreshing in its simplicity.

We had time to read the menu through once before they came to take our drinks order, and these came swiftly. My only small gripe was that the waitress poured our diet cokes for us at the table - given the option, I prefer to pour my own when I'm ready to start drinking, so it doesn't get diluted by the ice and so I don't drink it all before the meal comes just because it's there. I was brought up to make a single drink last through a meal when in a restaurant and it's something I still try to do now I'm picking up the bill.

The menu had a good selection of the usual modern Italian fare, but nothing was marked as vegetarian so the two of us had to make an educated guess about what we could eat. This wasn't too difficult because there were clear descriptions of the menu items, and I suppose was a little better than some places that do use the green Vs, but then don't mark some obvious stuff, like garlic bread, leaving you wondering what on earth they've put in it, and whether you should brave it or not. I later discovered this info is on their website, but it relies on you checking before you go, which for this particular branch might not be all that likely - it's the kind of place you might pick on a whim while out shopping. On the plus side, they also have a allergy checklist online, so you can find suitable food if on a restricted diet. I wouldn't expect all this to be on their standard menu, but I was a little surprised by the lack of veggie info. Interestingly I discovered that while most of the breads are suitable for vegetarians, the olive ones, which form part of a mixed platter, are not, so if you are strict about what you eat it's definitely better to check beforehand.

We ordered a starter to share and to main courses, and sat back for a gossip. The starter, breadsticks, arrived after about 10 minutes. These were delicious and but not what I was expecting. The sticks were warm (not quite hot enough to linger over, but we gobbled) and thin rather than the chunkier ones you often get. The sticks themselves were plain dough, but came with a garlic dip that was deliciously creamy. I thought this was a great idea since it meant two people could share (there were certainly enough) but one could have them without the garlic if they wanted. On their own they were certainly tasty, and very moist with just a tint of oil and salt, but I'm a bit of a garlic fiend so I dug in. The other slightly odd thing was that we didn't get plates for these, just the chopping-board style thing they served the breadsticks on. Again, not a problem for us as we're quite happy to make like Hansel and Gretel and leave crumbs, but I'm sure they would have brought plates over if we'd asked.

While we waited for our mains, a waitress came round lighting the candles on each table. No Zoë-and-Michelle date is complete without a candle, so we were happy bunnies. The main courses took another 10 minutes or so, which was long enough to work up the anticipation but not too long you wondered where your order had got to. We had a pizza and a pasta between us, and while they both seemed hearty portions when they arrived, I somehow managed to finish mine much more quickly. The pizza looked good but was slightly tough so required more knife action, while I had the advantage of needing only a fork for my spaghetti. I was offered, and accepted, freshly grated parmesan at the table, of the kind where they bring over a chunk and a grater, not even the pre-grated fresh stuff from earlier in the shift. We had a mini pepper mill on the table too, so we could keep adding this. I don't know what it says about us (other than that we both like pepper?) that each of us added this to our food before even tasting it...

Throughout it all the service was attentive but not intrusive. Plates were cleared swiftly but not too swiftly if you know what I mean, and I kept my bowl until Michelle had finished too, which meant I may or may not have regressed into my automatic habit of licking up the sauce at the bottom with my fingers.

Celebrating the fact that, despite being the grand old age of 27, I had just that afternoon bought an age 9-10 Primarni top for work, we decided that our waistlines could afford pudding, so we shared the chocolate torte. This came with a delicious, clearly home-made vanilla mascarpone, and had a chocolate hazelnut base. It was a small slice for the money (nearly a fiver) and not too rich either, but we didn't feel let down. The other options were more traditional Italian offerings - tiramisu, gelati and various fruity tarts.

At the end, the bill came to £20 thanks to a voucher whereby the second main course purchased was charged at just £1. This offer runs until the end of August, and can be printed off their website. If you opt for more expensive dishes, there's also a two-mains-for-£10 offer on for the same period. We thought this was very reasonable for essentially a two course (one starter, one pudding) meal with drink for two people in what is one of the more upmarket chain restaurants. It had a nice, almost independent feel to it and the service was excellent, so we would certainly return.


http://www.zizzi.co.uk/restaurants/63 for location and menu, and those ever important vouchers!

Summary: Check online first if you're on a restricted diet